Episodes
The Goldin Touch: Building an Auction House Empire with Ken Goldin
In this landmark episode of Collector Station , Ryan Alford welcomes Ken Goldin — founder of Goldin Auctions and star of Netflix’s King of Collectibles — for a deep dive into how real value is created in the collectibles mark...
Understanding Card Value: Grades, Data, and Demand with Mike Baker an…
The collectibles hobby is changing — and grading is at the center of that shift. In this episode of Collector Nation, Ryan Alford sits down with Mike Baker, founder of Mike Baker Authentication (MBA), and Brian Ludden, co-founder of Ludex, to discuss grading innovation, transparency, and the future…
What We Learned After 50 Episodes With the Best in the Hobby
In this special milestone episode of Collector Nation , Ryan Alford celebrates the first 50 episodes by revisiting the most powerful insights from the biggest names in sports cards, collectibles, and hobby culture. Featuring ...
PSA Pricing, Super Bowl Card Hype & the Vintage Advantage
The sports card hobby is evolving — and the old rules don’t always apply anymore. In this episode of Collector Nation , host Ryan Alford is joined by hobby veteran and Ludex CEO Brian Ludden for a wide-ranging conversation on...
Custom Over Commodity: Eric Wagenmaker on Reclaiming Memorabilia
In this episode of Collector Nation, Ryan Alford welcomes Eric Wagenmaker, founder of Reclaim Customs, for a deep dive into custom memorabilia, creativity, and what really gives collectibles their meaning. Eric shares how a s...
$5K LeBron Pull… Then a Jordan Rookie Walked Into the Shop
In this episode of Collector Nation , Ryan Alford and Brian Ludden take listeners inside a week that perfectly captures today’s hobby — digital pulls, vintage surprises, and the unpredictable magic of sports cards. Brian open...
Card Care, Grading, and the Line Between Preservation and Alteration …
As the hobby grows more sophisticated, conversations around card care have become louder — and more misunderstood. In this episode of Collector Nation , Ryan Alford welcomes Kurt Colon of Kurt’s Card Care for a grounded discu...
What Makes Something Collectible? Inside the Stories, Scarcity & Cult…
What makes something collectible? Is it scarcity? Nostalgia? Cultural relevance? Or the story behind it? In Episode 45 of Collector Nation, Ryan Alford brings together powerful moments from past conversations to explore one c...
From Sports Media to Netflix: How Alex Giaimo Went From Watching the …
Sports cards have officially outgrown the label of “just a hobby.” In this episode of Collector Nation , Ryan Alford is joined by Alex Giaimo—sports media veteran and the voice behind Netflix’s King of Collectibles —to break ...
Buy Low, Sell Smart: Understanding Sports Card Cycles is the Key to F…
Sports cards have officially crossed the line from hobby to marketplace , where prices move quickly and emotion can be costly. In this episode of Collector Nation , Ryan Alford and Brian Ludden unpack how card prices actually...
From Plastic Slabs to Fine Art: How M1nt is Revolutionizing Trading C…
The sports card hobby has a problem — it forgot how to be fun. In this episode of Collector Nation, Ryan Alford welcomes Brian Pirrip, founder of Mint, for a deep dive into how innovation, storytelling, and premium design are redefining what it means to collect. Brian shares how frustration with ch…
Sports Cards Aren’t a Hobby Anymore… They’re an Industry
The sports card world is evolving — and the changes go far beyond marketplaces. In this episode of Collector Nation, Ryan Alford and Brian Ludd explore why building a successful card marketplace is so difficult, why even majo...
Why Nostalgia Is the Most Powerful Asset in the Hobby: Media insider …
In this episode of Collector Nation, Ryan is joined by Carmine Gemei, Sports Director at FOX Carolina , for a wide-ranging conversation on why vintage sports cards continue to outperform hype-driven modern collecting. Carmine...
Grading, Breakers, and the billion-dollar collector economy
What does the future of the sports card hobby really look like? In this episode of Collector Nation, Ryan Alford and Brian Ludden unpack the most important trends shaping sports cards heading into 2026 — from grading and raw ...
The Next Collectibles Boom Won’t Look Like the Last One and THIS is W…
The sports card and collectibles hobby is entering a new phase—one driven by content, community, and digital discovery. In this episode, we’re joined by Shivam Patel, a collector and content creator with a front-row seat to h...
Adult Prices, Kid Culture: Where the Card Hobby Is Headed in 2026
Welcome to the first episode of the new year on Collector Nation . To kick off 2026, Ryan Alford is joined by his son Hudson for an honest conversation about where the sports card hobby is today — and where it’s headed next. ...
How a Mariah Carey Demo Became a $54,000 Iconic Collectible| Alex Bru…
Shownotes: In this episode of Collector Nation , host Ryan Alford sits down with Alex Bruh , CEO and Co-Owner of Wax Poetics , to explore the explosive intersection of music history , hip-hop culture , and high-value collecti...
Human Card Grading Is Ending — Here’s What Comes Next with Tech Advan…
Collector Nation is here—and it’s changing how the hobby tells its story. In this episode, Ryan Alford is joined by Brian Ludden, Founder & CEO of LUDX, to officially launch Collector Nation, a new media platform built by col...
Gordy Bonker left Wall Street for THIS: Why Sports Cards Are the Ulti…
In this episode of Trading Cards & Collectibles, Ryan Alford is joined by Gordy Bonkers to break down why vintage sports cards are increasingly being viewed as a serious alternative asset class. Gordy explains what separates ...
PSA Acquires Beckett. What This Means For Card Grading And Values
SUMMARY In this episode of the "Trading Cards and Collectibles Podcast" on the Radcast Network, hosts Ryan Alford and Brian Ludden discuss how recent sports performances and injuries are impacting trading card values. They sh...
Where Content Meets Collectibles: Building a Card Shop for Creators, …
SUMMARY In this episode of the "Trading Cards and Collectibles" podcast, host Ryan Alford announces the upcoming opening of Collector Station, a new destination hobby store in Easley, South Carolina. Ryan details the store’s ...
Unexpected Card Price Surges Shake Up The Hobby This Week
SUMMARY In this episode of the "Trading Cards and Collectibles" podcast on the Radcast Network, hosts Ryan Alford and Brian Ludden discuss the latest trends in the trading card market, notable sales, and personal collecting s...
The Power of Authenticity: How Resolution Photomatching Quadruples Va…
SUMMARY In this episode of the Trading Cards and Collectibles Podcast, host Ryan Alford interviews John Robinson, founder of Resolution Photo Matching. They discuss the rise of photo matching as the gold standard for authenti...
The Probstein Controversy Explained In Minutes | What Collectors Must…
SUMMARY In this episode of the "Trading Cards and Collectibles" podcast, hosts Ryan Alford and Bryan Ludden discuss recent controversies in the trading card industry, including shill bidding and the "snipe disaster." They sha...